EnTrends [ahn-trends]

Taking a Look at How Modern Entrepreneurs Work & Live!

Joe Petrillo is providing peace of mind to people in what seem to be insecure times. As an L.A.P.D. employee and then a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff for thirteen years, Petrillo gained vast experience working in communities that were saturated with gang warfare and criminal activity. Although he thoroughly enjoyed protecting the community, Petrillo longed for another outlet to his talents.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and completed coursework to earn his Masters of Arts degree in Public Administration from Pepperdine University. All the while, he continued to cultivate his entrepreneurial feelings while working for the Sheriff's Department.

In 1978, Petrillo expressed his feelings to friends and they suggested that he utilize his experience as a Deputy Sheriff to start a security company. Petrillo liked the idea and began planning a venture. He and his wife invited a group of their friends, family and associates, many who had vast business experience, to their home for consultation. Petrillo was able to raise $50,000 to start his business.

Next, Petrillo asked a friend of his, a retired L.A.P.D. officer, to be his attorney, and he recruited his personal accountant to keep track of his business finances. Finally, Petrillo leased a small office space in San Gabriel and opened his doors in January of 1979. His new company was called Security Design Systems (SDS).

As the business grew, Petrillo put all the revenue that he earned back into the company and paid off his lenders. He continued to work for the Sheriff's Department and run his business on the side. Because no proprietary information was being used, he was able to continue working at both jobs. When enough business had been generated, Petrillo retired from the Sheriff's Department to nurture his growing company.

Petrillo moved conservatively into each new area of his business. In the beginning, he started out in residential security system design because the market was new to California. He and his technicians, along with project managers, completed home security systems for about two years before moving into small commercial work.

Due to his background as a Deputy Sheriff working in high crime areas, clients trusted Petrillo's ability to outthink criminals, but he had to acquire the necessary technical knowledge through hands-on experience. "Everything I could get my hands on, I read. I understood the technology, but not being an engineering mind, I wanted to know exactly what my technicians were doing in the field. I may not have know how to do the installation, but I knew how the overall job was to be done properly."

Currently, SDS's work involves 70% commercial and 30% residential work as opposed to 90% and 10% in the beginning. In the commercial realm, SDS works with governmental, industrial, and small business clients. Petrillo says that technology in his line of work is constantly changing, especially with access control and remote video technology. Therefore, a majority of his company's expense stems from training in these areas.

As experts in protecting property and individuals, SDS also provides security training to its clientele. Petrillo says that one of the most important things for people to do is to be on the lookout for general patterns of behavior that are not appropriate. These patterns can occur at banks, airports, parking lots, and many other public places.

Petrillo himself has addressed members of Congress regarding issues within the security industry and the U.S. Justice Department has consulted him about the protection of governmental personnel and property. Petrillo has also developed his own unique personality profiling system for deciphering the motives of criminals. This profile was a product of studies he has conducted over the years with such menacing criminals as Charles Manson.

When asked if the events of September 11th have caused an increase in the demand for his company's services, Petrillo responded, "We are all coming out of a state of shock after September 11th, and we are realizing that things are changing daily. But to say that the security industry is increasing tremendously would not be appropriate. Right now, human changes are taking place in airports. Personnel are being taught how to appropriately search baggage and deal with people. Within the next six to twelve months, however, I believe you will see a greater technology increases within public places."

Petrillo says that while the professional activities of each workday vary, he begins each day by working out. This has stuck with him from his days in law enforcement. Petrillo then works on specific tasks depending on what day of the week it is. Mondays are for office work. Tuesdays and Thursdays are scheduled heavily with field consultations and Wednesdays are for marketing, and management meetings. Friday is reserved to carry over business and pleasure.

One of ways that Petrillo combines business and pleasure is with flying helicopters. He was enthralled with them when he first flew on one for the Sheriff's Department. The idea of being able to take off and land in remotes spots was liberating to him. Therefore, he decided to learn how to fly. Like a true entrepreneur, Petrillo realized that he could incorporate helicopters into his business.

Petrillo took a look at where the helicopter industry was and where it could be. He looked at how New York and Florida used helicopters to transport executives and how, in California, they were being used primarily for news media and a small portion of police surveillance. Petrillo began doing aerial photography for some of his clients and eventually began transporting precious items for them.

As an entrepreneur, Petrillo says that he enjoys the ability to empower people. Over the years, he has learned that one of the biggest problems CEOs have is the disability to delegate. But Petrillo says, "I enjoy empowering my managers and employees. There are only so many jobs I can do in a day. When you empower people, you let them know that you trust them and that you abide by their talents, backgrounds, and thought processes."

Petrillo is also heavily involved in working with youth and helping them to reach their full potential. He talks to them about setting goals and the proper way of reaching them. Petrillo says, "Some people pass by the younger generations and don't take the time to smell the roses with them. They forget that the younger generation will be taking care of us. That's the way evolution is."

Outside of work, Petrillo says that he enjoys the freedom that comes with being an entrepreneur the most. "Freedom is not something that is given to you, it is something that is earned." Petrillo says that while an entrepreneur may have the ability to play golf or go flying, he or she knows that last night, or maybe even over the weekend, certain things had to be done to make that time free. "You have to do your homework- bottom line."

When Petrillo has earned his free time, he enjoys flying. He is also a car fanatic and owns an array of vehicles including a Porsche, Mercedes, and a Jeep. He is also awaiting a new BMW X5. In addition, Petrillo enjoys spending time with his family and outdoor recreation. About 25 members of his family travel to Mammoth to ski each year.

As for advice he would give to other entrepreneurs, Petrillo says that people have to follow a set of goals. "You must be unbelievably disciplined and motivated. You can't have one without the other. You have to set many types of goals."

Petrillo has studied the similarities of successful people and incorporate sthem into his presentations on goals. He states, "Successful people are always willing to help others. They have experienced what it feels like and want to help others feel the same way. Successful people are goal oriented, highly motivated, disciplined, achievers, and pro- active, not re-active. They have an unbelievable desire to succeed both personally and professionally. In addition, they know that they will fall down at one time or another. The first thing you have to do is get right back up."